From a young Alice Springs boy wearing a police officer's cap to being named as the Northern Territory's new police commissioner, Martin Dole has come a long way.
In his 29th year in the NT Police Force, the new commissioner walks into the top job with a lifetime of community service to the territory, where he was born and raised.
But the road ahead also holds significant challenges.
Rebuilding a fractured force that has churned through four police commissioners in 10 years, with one jailed , one sacked and another nudged into early retirement — the fourth retiring last week after heading up the Australian Federal Police since 2019.
A police force that has recently faced scrutiny over its treatment of Aboriginal people who come into contact with the law, including allegations